The Importance of Bible Interpretation and Context

I hope you have been reading the bible and I want to encourage you to read the Word and try to finish the bible in a year. Over the years I’ve read different versions of the bible, and I can assure you that it will bring a lot of faith and life to you – faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Last year, I finished the Message bible – a gift from my ex-CG members for my birthday. Also, there are many bible reading programs available online that you may wish to use to help you get organized.

I’m currently using this “6 month bible reading program” which takes me to halfway done with the Amplified Bible on my ipad hehe. I find a bible reading program helps me stay focused on completing the reading in time. I encourage you to do the same.

But more than just reading the bible, we also need to have a method to study it in depth – to slowly chew on the meat and get its juice and texture, and not just drink it like milk (reading).

We need to depend on the Holy Spirit – you see, God can choose fishermen to write the gospels and epistles. Understanding the bible has nothing to do with education – its got to do with desire and hunger. And graduating from bible school does not mean one knows how to interpret or study the bible.

The bible says in Rev 1:3 – “blessed is he who reads”

Although the context of this verse is for the book of Revelation, the principle is the same throughout the bible because the Bible is one big prophesy linked together from the old to New Testament.

The Old reveals the New, and the New confirms the Old.

Heb 4:12-13 says “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

Spending time in the Word makes you discerning – you will know what is of God, of flesh and of Spirit.

Prov 4:22 says God’s word is health (Heb: Medicine) for all our flesh

Paul said to Timothy in 2 Tim 3:14-17

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work”

Jesus personally used the word of God against the temptations of Satan. You need to understand that the written Word is above the prophetic word. What the Word of God says supersedes the words of a “prophet”, especially those who prophesy to make you do their bidding, or call themselves prophets with a hidden motive. That’s why the bible encourages us in 1 Jn 4:1-3:

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.”

And we cannot just blindly listen to everything that comes into our ears and allow it into our hearts without consideration. The Berean Jews were an example of people who were very careful. It says in Acts 17:11

“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”

One of the ways a false prophet or preacher misrepresent the word is to just quote a verse and ignore the entire context of the Word. It happens commonly today. Many preachers pick a verse, and then preach anything they want – from management dogma to plainly trying to get the members to submit under their control and manipulation. Be very careful. When interpreting the bible, always check context.

Miles Coverdale, the first man to translate the Latin and German bible into English called the “Coverdale Bible”, said this:

“It shall greatly help ye to understand the Scriptures if thou mark not only what is spoken or written, but of whom and to whom, with what words, at what time, where, to what intent, with what circumstances, considering what goeth before and what followeth after.”

“goeth before and what followeth after” refers to the context.

Context is important. Always refer to a verse in its context. Not everything refers to you the believer, especially when some people cherry pick verses for their own use without regard for context or blatantly misrepresenting the context of the Word. It can happen in an offering message (taking a verse out of context – e.g. “I will not give to God something which cost me nothing”), in “discipleship” (limiting context of the Word to solely quantity and not the fruit of the Spirit), in getting you to bring more friends to church (citing the story of Jesus cursing the fig tree), etc.

For example, in Matt 24, Jesus talks about the end times. We may think that everything there refers to what will happen to us. But the context of the verse is that it is primarily talking to the Jews – and you (if you’re like me a Chinese), are not a Jew!

Matt 24:21:

“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ (the anti-christ) spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.”

If we cross reference this to Daniel, we’ll see that the Jews were called to “flee to the wilderness and the mountains of Petra” – cheekily, its not our context. We have Bukit Ho Swee, Bukit Timah and the most sanctified Bukit Merah (”Merah” (Malay): Red – covered by the blood :p).

The context is important because Matthew 24 comes before Matt 25:1 – “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ² Five of them were foolish and five were wise”

We often interpret the 10 virgins as the non-jewish church (us). If we interpret it this way, half the church is raptured and half left behind!!!! Then those who are pessimistic will think they’ll be left behind.

We got to be accurate. Find out who its written to, spoken to, under what circumstances.

We need to understand that although the entire bible is written for our benefit, not the whole bible is written TO us!

E.g. Paul’s letters are all written TO US – the church.

So we can take everything Paul says in the epistles because it is to the church – very clearly spelt out.

But some things that God said in the Old Testament are spoken to the Jews, which we may also benefit us as a “third party hearer”. Certain parts of it can encourage us – apply it! But we still need to be careful because in some parts of the OT contains specifics which are not meant for us but for the Jews.

In those parts which contain a curse or a warning or anything adverse, we need to be very careful of the context – who is it for. If it is general, then take it as a warning. If it is to a specific audience, then be careful.

And we really need to be careful, especially when someone uses it on you with an intention to misrepresent to manipulate. It brings bondage, fear and condemnation.

Well, so this is an introduction to what I’m gonna write about more.

I hope you start reading the Word if you have not, and for those who started, I like to encourage you to study the Word deeper in its context.

Remember to check out those free bible reading programs no the internet!

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